How To Tell If You Have Autism
here is a guide to tell if you have autism. it goes over some of the basic symptoms and tests. for future use Core symptoms The severity of symptoms varies greatly, but all people with autism have some core symptoms in the areas of: * Social interactions and relationships. Symptoms may include: ** Significant problems developing nonverbal communication skills, such as eye-to-eye gazing, facial expressions, and body posture. ** Failure to establish friendships with children the same age. ** Lack of interest in sharing enjoyment, interests, or achievements with other people. ** Lack of empathy. People with autism may have difficulty understanding another person's feelings, such as pain or sorrow. * Verbal and nonverbal communication. Symptoms may include: ** Delay in, or lack of, learning to talk. As many as 40% of people with autism never speak.1 ** Problems taking steps to start a conversation. Also, people with autism have difficulties continuing a conversation after it has begun. ** Stereotyped and repetitive use of language. People with autism often repeat over and over a phrase they have heard previously (echolalia). ** Difficulty understanding their listener's perspective. For example, a person with autism may not understand that someone is using humor. They may interpret the communication word for word and fail to catch the implied meaning. * Limited interests in activities or play. Symptoms may include: ** An unusual focus on pieces. Younger children with autism often focus on parts of toys, such as the wheels on a car, rather than playing with the entire toy. ** Preoccupation with certain topics. For example, older children and adults may be fascinated by video games, trading cards, or license plates. ** A need for sameness and routines. For example, a child with autism may always need to eat bread before salad and insist on driving the same route every day to school. ** Stereotyped behaviors. These may include body rocking and hand flapping. * Behavioral assessments. Various guidelines and questionnaires are used to help a doctor determine the specific type of developmental delay a child has. These include:2 ** Medical history. During the medical history interview, a doctor asks general questions about a child's development, such as whether a child shows parents things by pointing to objects. Young children with autism often point to items they want, but do not point to show parents an item and then check to see if parents are looking at the item being pointed out. ** Diagnostic guidelines for autism. The American Association of Childhood and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has established guidelines for diagnosing autism.2 The criteria are designed so a doctor can assess a child's behavior relating to core symptoms of autism. ** Clinical observations. A doctor may want to observe the developmentally delayed child in different situations. The parents may be asked to interpret whether certain behaviors are usual for the child in those circumstances. ** Developmental and intelligence tests. The AACAP also recommends that tests be given to evaluate whether a child's developmental delays affect his or her ability to think and make decisions. * Physical assessments and laboratory tests. Other tests may be used to determine whether a physical problem may be causing symptoms. These tests include: ** Physical exam, including head circumference, weight, and height measurements, to determine whether the child has a normal growth pattern. ** Hearing tests, to determine whether hearing problems may be causing developmental delays, especially those related to social skills and language use. ** Testing for lead poisoning, especially if a condition called pica (in which a person craves substances that are not food, such as dirt or flecks of old paint) is present. Children with developmental delays usually continue putting items in their mouth after this stage has passed in normally developing children. This practice can result in lead poisoning, which should be identified and treated as soon as possible. Other lab tests may be done under specific circumstances. These tests include: * Chromosomal analysis, which may be done if intellectual disability is present or there is a family history of intellectual disability. For example, fragile X syndrome, which causes a range of below-normal intelligence problems as well as autistic-like behaviors, can be identified with a chromosomal analysis. * An electroencephalograph (EEG), which is done if there are symptoms of seizures, such as a history of staring spells or if a person reverts to less mature behavior (developmental regression). * MRI, which may be done if there are signs of differences in the structure of the brain.